burger
noun
a hamburger.
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burger
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Burger
BurgernounWarren Earl, 1907–1995, U.S. jurist: chief justice of the U.S. 1969–86.
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-burger
-burgera combining form extracted from hamburger, occurring in compounds the initial element of which denotes a special garnish for a hamburger or a substitute ingredient for the meat patty.
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Bürger
BürgernounGottfried August (ˈɡɔtfriːt ˈauɡʊst). 1747–94, German lyric poet, noted particularly for his ballad Lenore (1773)
burger
1 American
[bur-ger]
/ ˈbɜr gər /
noun
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a hamburger.
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a food patty, or patty on a bun, containing ingredients other than beef.
veggie or turkey burgers.
Burger
2
American
[bur-ger]
/ ˈbɜr gər /
noun
-burger
3
American
burger
1
British
/ ˈbɜːɡə /
noun
Bürger
2
British
/ ˈbyrɡər /
noun
Usage
What does -burger mean? The combining form -burger is used like a suffix indicating a kind of hamburger or other patty in a sandwich bun. The form -burger comes from the end of the word hamburger, meaning "a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground beef in a roll or bun." The word hamburger itself comes from a shortening of a dish named Hamburger steak, from the German city of Hamburg.
Etymology
Origin of burger
1935–40, extracted from hamburger by false analysis as ham 1 + burger
Explanation
A grilled beef patty on a bun is called a burger. Lunch at a fast food restaurant often consists of a burger and fries. You can use the word burger as a casual shorthand for hamburger, which is ground or minced beef that's fried and served on a bun. A burger can also be made of other ingredients, like turkey or tofu or lamb. In fact, if you shape food into a patty, grill it, and put it on a roll or bun, you can call it a burger. The word was first used in 1939, from hamburger.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another Southern California burger giant, In-N-Out, also recently unveiled plans for a new Orange County location to open in late 2026.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
A lot more than five guys have struggled to make burger joints work in California lately.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
A former international rugby union star who tasted the highs for club and country has said he now loves spending his weekends running a burger stall on the family farm.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
The burger chain announced in a recent state filing that its locations in City of Industry and Whittier will close in late May.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
I also really like Wendy’s ’cause they put bacon on the burger on the dollar menu, and sometimes Mom lets me get a Frosty if she has a coupon.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
